Frodo jumped up and stood on a
table, and began to talk. The attention of Pippin's audience was disturbed. Some of the
hobbits looked at Frodo and laughed and clapped, thinking that Mr. Underhill had taken as
much ale as was good for him.
Frodo suddenly felt very foolish, and found himself (as was his habit when making a
speech) fingering the things in his pocket. He felt the Ring on its chain, and quite
unaccountably the desire came over him to slip it on and vanish out of the silly
situation. It seemed to him, somehow, as if the suggestion came to him from outside, from
someone or something in the room. He resisted the temptation firmly, and clasped the Ring
in his hand, as if to keep a hold on it and prevent it from escaping or doing any
mischief. At any rate it gave him no inspiration. He spoke 'a few suitable words', as they
would have said in the Shire: We are all very much gratified by the kindness of your
reception, and I venture to hope that my brief visit will help to renew the old ties of
friendship between the Shire and Bree; and then he hestiated and coughed.
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